Soon after I had been reunited with my parents, they dismissed all the noble people from the great hall and then lead me deeper into the Royal castle. The Queen held my hand as she lead me through the great arched hallways while the King walked on the other side of me with his hands neatly behind his back.
I occasionally looked over at him to check that he was still there just because he was so quiet. Despite being such a large man, he was completely silent as he walked. I wondered what he was thinking about as he kept such a straight face and poised figure.
As we walked, my mother, whose full name and title was Queen Verena Evangeline Bedelia Rosenheim, Asked me tons of questions about what my life had been like. She asked about everything. She wanted to know what our cottage looked like and how big it was, she wanted to know about the friends I had made there, she was curious about my favourite foods and favourite activities, she just wanted to know everything and I was gladly soaking up all the attention. She was worried about how her lost son had been living, and I was more than happy to relieve her stress by telling her how happy and content I had been.
Although my father, King Alistair Hans Eilish Rosenheim, seemed like he wasn't listening, I had the feeling that he was paying attention to our conversation by the way the corners of his mouth turned up into a bemused expression whenever I made my mother laugh with stories of the forest village.
We came to a stop at a golden arched hallway with flying cherubs carved into the walls.
"Rory, these will be your quarters." My mother gently ran her fingers through my hair.
She had suddenly started calling me Rory during our conversation, so I guessed she had given me a nickname. I quite liked it actually because the name 'Rory' felt friendlier and more casual. Definitely something befitting for a mother to call her child. I tried to repress my smile at the thought that I had a mother.
As we stepped inside we were greeted by a long line of staff waiting for us.
"Greetings Your Highness." They all either bowed or curtseyed to me.
"Hello..." I smiled back awkwardly, not expecting to see anyone. My mother giggled down at me and pinched my cheek.
"Rory, these are the people who will be taking care of you from now on." She smiled as she gestured towards the line of twenty people. I was pretty sure nobody needed twenty people to take care of them, but I wasn't going to say anything to ruin the moment.
"Introduce yourselves." My father's stern voice commanded the staff.
"Yes, your majesty." They replied in unison to him.
Firstly two armed guards stepped forth. One I recognized from the troop of knights who came to collect me on the forest.
"My name is Sir Amren, your Highness. I served in the High Knights Order for nine years and achieved the medal of solidarity and the medal of bravery for my service. I am glad to now serve your Highness." Amren had deep dark blue eyes and almost the same stern feel my father had. Even though he seemed quite strict I knew we would get along, or at least I would make a big effort to.
"My name is Sir Jabari Hakurona, Your Highness." I immediately noticed that he had an accent, a curious way of putting a lot of emphasis on his 'r' sounds. "I am one of the Valhallen race and have gladly been assigned to protect you, your Highness."
Sir Jabari had dark skin with shocking bright blue eyes and dark grey almost black hair. He didn't look like he was stern, but he seemed like the quiet aloof type. I remembered from my time in the village that Valhallen people were known for their physical superiority, thus they were often employed in kingdoms as special guards, knights and soldiers.
Next came my six maids. Miss Tabitha, Miss Calliopis, Miss Amethyst, Miss Flora, Miss Reverie and Miss Eden. They were all young women immaculate dressed in blue and white uniforms.
"Your Highness, we are honoured to have been selected to serve as your maids." Said Miss Tabitha who I guessed was the head maid.
Next were my private tutors. Sir Sakaru, who was also a member of the Valhallen race, would tutor me in swordsmanship and other fighting styles.
Lord Julius Leopold would tutor me in all the forms of magic and alchemy. The Lady Celestine Elowen would tutor me in the various arts: Music, Visual Art, poetry, and languages. I couldn't help but stare at her because she was so beautiful with her fair skin and shimmering rose gold hair. I also noticed that she had extremely pointy ears and I wondered whether she was an elf, but I was scared of offending her so I didn't say anything.
Lastly, Mrs Zelda Spaulding would be my nanny. She looked just like your average friendly grandma with grey hair and warm brown eyes.
"Now Rory, your father and I have to go back to our duties so we will leave you in the hands of Nanny Zelda. She will show you all around your quarters and get you settled in for tonight." I felt a pang of disappointment shoot through me that my parents would not be showing me around the castle, but then again they were the king and queen. It would be selfish to want them to myself all the time when they probably had other pressing duties.
"Will I be able to come and see you again later?" I asked as my mother placed a kiss on my forehead.
"Of course." She smiled down at me. "I'll come and kiss you goodnight."
Before leaving, my father dragged his large heavy hand over my head, completely dishevelling the hair my mother had been combined go to place with her fingers.
Then Nanny Zelda proceeded to lead me around my room, with my four maids following behind closely.
First, we stopped in my bedroom, which was more extravagant than I ever could have imagined. It had a four-poster bed that looked like it was made out of solid gold. On top of that, there was a literal golden fence around my bed I had no idea why but I thought it was pretty cool. There was a lot of royal blue in the bedroom from the tapestry on the walls to my bedsheets.
I guessed my parents were hoping that I would become quite patriotic after looking at Azlantean's signature royal blue colour covering every inch of my room.
"It's amazing..." I whispered as I took in all the luxury of this place.
Nanny Zelda giggled.
"Just wait, Your Highness, there is so much more to see still."
Nanny Zelda then lead me through an arched doorway to the right of my bedroom.
My eyes almost bulged out of their sockets at what I saw.
"This is your Highnesses private library and study where your lessons will be conducted with Lord Leopold." She said as she gestured around the library that was much bigger than my high school library on Earth.
"This is all just for me?" I asked in disbelief, looking at the elaborate two-story library.
"Of course your Highness." Zelda smiled warmly at my reaction. And I heard some of the maids giggle at my antics from behind her too.
"All this space is too much just for me." I pointed out, wondering how on earth (or should I say Bragon) would I read all these books.
"Not at all, Your Highness. I am sure your Highness will put this space to good use." She smiled happily, she really gave off the feel of a sweet attentive grandma.
"Oh yes, that reminds me!" Nanny Zelda suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Are there any books in particular that your Highness would like to read? The latest picture books perhaps...?" She suggested.
"Well, actually I really enjoy books on history and magical creatures and artefacts," I said shyly, not wanting her to think I was some kind of a nerd, but I found it really interesting to learn about this fantasy world, so books like that really captured me, which I realized wasn't normal for ordinary seven-year-olds but I couldn't force myself to read another boring children's picture book.
She looked surprised at my request but didn't comment on it.
"Duly noted My Prince. I will make sure the shelves are filled with books of your preference."
Nanny Zelda then lead me to another amazing room. This time it was an empty circular room, at least three story's high with large arched windows letting tons of light flood in, that opened out onto a pavilion with a grand view of the giant lake that was right next to the Kingdom.
"Wow!" I sighed as I ran to the middle of the giant empty room. "This is huge!" I exclaimed. I laughed when I could actually hear my echo talking back to me.
"Mmmh." Agreed Nanny Zelda. "It was designed this way so that you Highness could practice magic as well as sparing in this room with Your highnesses tutors." She informed me politely.
"No wonder it's so big..."
My nanny then walked me out to the pavilion that overlooked the kingdom. It was a large rectangular stone balcony that overlooked the mountain, valley and lake. The view was amazing as the sun was setting and the sky had been lit up in an otherworldly shade of pink. From up here, I could see the vastness of this amazing kingdom from the thousands of stone houses and buildings etched into the sides of the mountains, to the amazing Venician-like houses built into the water.
There were lots of green vines and blossoming plants growing up the sides of the pavilion which made me think of Juliet's balcony from Shakespeare's play. The highlight of the pavilion was the large tree that looked exactly like a cherry blossom tree growing at the left end of the pavilion.
"Ah Your Highness, I see that the Eternal Spring tree had captured your attention..." she mused as she looked at me.
"It's great," I said.
"A very rare and beautiful birch it is. This peculiar tree stays blooming all year round, only in spring does the tree begin to let its blossoms fall, yet in a week or so every blossom has grown back and it returns to its state of eternal blooming." She smiled gazing at the light pink blossoms on the tree.
"It also produces a tasty fruit in the summer months!" She added with a giggle.
After we had stared at the eternal birch for long enough, Nanny Zelda showed me the rest of the remaining rooms on my wing of the palace.
I still had a sitting room to bring my guests to if I ever wanted to bring them over. A mini ballroom, where I could host a dance if I wanted to. A private workroom where I could work if I wanted to be alone. An acoustic room that housed an instrument that looked like a grand piano but had way more keys and three different levels of keys. I knew that was going to be really hard to learn. And finally, a treasury, which I learned was a room where people kept their own treasures and precious items. It was an Azlantean custom apparently. So if I ever received any gifts or had the chance to go on an adventure and collect some treasure I would store them there.
When Nanny Zelda had finished showing me everything, my eyes were beginning to droop and I couldn't hold back my yawns. I was ready for bed.
She promptly took me back to my bedroom and my adjoining bathroom and started to run a bath for me, I laid down on one of the side sofas and watched as the maids turned down the sheets and removed some of the pillows and blew out the candles.
Nanny Zelda helped me bathe and then dry up, even though I felt a bit awkward, I was too tired to protest when she insisted that she help me bath. When I got out of the bathroom and into the softest silkiest pyjamas I had ever worn, I slipped into my new bed easily.
Once I was in my bed, and all my maids had left, I looked around this great gold and blue room, with its impossibly intricate carvings and the large windows that opened out onto the balcony. I fell asleep while watching the enormous lake shimmer in the moonlight, but not before I felt a soft kiss being placed on my forehead. Although I had just met her, I recognized that person as my mother.